Northampton - Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Northampton has one of England's four round churches, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Sheep Street, which is modeled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It originally belonged to a monastic house and was founded by Simon de Senlis, Earl of Northampton (d. 1109), who had taken part in a crusade to the Holy Land. The present nave, eight steps higher than the original one, is in Early English style, the apse is modern, the tower Perpendicular. The interior is highly impressive with its massive Norman piers; the choir, built in 1860-64 under Sir Gilbert Scott, is worth a special look.